Parties ally against Basescu, electoral media campaign resumes

The PNL’s precondition in the deal was the appointment of Klaus Johannis, the current Sibiu mayor, as prime minister, should Mircea Geoana win the elections. Johannis was the PNL’s nomination for PM soon after the current government lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament earlier this year, but president Traian Basescu instead opted to propose Lucian Croitoru, who was rejected by Parliament, and, more recently, Liviu Negoita. Parliament has however changed the legislation so as to allow the current interim government to continue in office and submit the 2010 budget. Meanwhile, the electoral campaigns have resumed, with the media playing an important role. TV footage showing Traian Basescu appearing to hit a child in 2004, during a previous electoral campaign, whose authenticity

has been challenged, has been circulating online, having initially been broadcast by Gardianul newspaper. The two biggest news TV stations, Realitatea TV, owned by Sorin Ovidiu Vantu, and Antena 3, owned by Dan Voiculescu, have both used the footage as a topic on their talk shows. However, Basescu called the footage a fake. “I think the dirty tricks campaign has been taken too far and this shows desperation,” said Basescu. The campaign, even before the first round of elections, included fake billboards showing PSD candidate Mircea Geoana with politicians Viorel Hrebengiuc, Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase and Marian Vanghelie, as well as media owners Sorin Ovidiu Vantu and Dan Voiculescu. 
Corina Saceanu